I don't know what the laws in Cali are, but here in CT (and NY AFAIK), the law calls for 2 plates that must be displayed (and I quote): "For passenger and most other types of registrations, you will be issued two plates. State law requires that you display one on the front and one on the back of the vehicle."

The law here does not require you to mount it on the bumper - just to display one on the front and one on the rear - You can mount it on the roof for all they care, as long as it's visible from the front, you're good. I would check the laws in Cali.

 

In CA i believe the law is the plate has to be permanantly mounted.

so front windshield would not be acceptable.

 

I just got a ticket for no front plate while my car was parked in bally's.. STupid city of rosemead..

 

This is true for CALI too, however I'll go on testing my luck "Without" mounting my front plate

 

Here is the law, interpret it however makes you happy: copied from DMV

5200. (a) When two license plates are issued by the department for use upon a vehicle, they shall be attached to the vehicle for which they were issued, one in the front and the other in the rear.

 

In CA, interpret it or not, but law enforcement is told and WILL ticket if it is in the windshield. No questions asked, must have both mounted on front and rear bumpers.

You also get 2 offenses of the same fix-it at the $10 or $20 level...after that it goes to $80-$85, then become an infraction...

 

I got a ticket for having the license plate on the windshield on my old car in CALI. Just use the freakin paper clip, only take 2 minutes to put on and it's not 60 dollars for a stupid holder.

 

It probably says that you need to have red brake lights in the rear also...

In both cases I suspect that there are detailed requirements for location, visability, number, and manner of permanent attachment.

 

I got stopped in NJ and got a ticket for no front plate. $48, no big deal, I dont mind.. I explained to the cop that I just got a new bumper put on with the front lip since the dealer screwed something up, and that I was waiting on the bracket. I was hoping he would let me off, but he was down an dead end back road, and obviously looking to pull someone over for something, so I was an easy target. It was the end of the month, so hey the guys gotta do his job.

He said that in the state of NJ I either have to have it somewhere on the front bumper, or visable from the bottom of the windsheild.

I still will never have a front plate on my cars. It takes away from the appearance, and it acts as a scapegoat. If you get pulled over for speeding lets say, and the cop wants to go easy on you he can give you a ticket for no front plate. My father used this trick for years and it suprisingly works.

 

I'm not crazy about the front plate in windshield idea. My med school roommate told me how his dad had a case where the victim was in a car accident. The front plate was in the dash, it went flying, and decapitated the dude.

I had no front plate for 2 years, then Officer McQueen of our lovely CHP gave me a ticket. I bought an extra tow hook cover, and bolted the front plate onto that.

 

just installed my front plate... didnt know i have to drill holes!

 

I got two tickets for those before in CA with my old car,
the new G.....stupid dealer drilled two holes and mounted it for me..

 

you have to drilled holes.. how else you gonna install it?

 

No front plate here...but I live in St. Louis, Missiouri--where it is also illegal to not have a front liscence plate.

Hockeyplay95

 

Don't install the front plate. Just hold off until you get a fix-it ticket. Then, use the paper-clip installation and get it signed off, then remove the plate again....